Amid reports of low morale and high casualty numbers in Ukraine’s Donbas, BBC Newsnight revisits Russia’s 331st Guards Parachute Regiment, considered “the best of the best.”

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The Donbas has become a battle of attrition with high casualties on both sides, BBC Newsnight charts the impact of the war on the Russian side from the 331st regiment’s home in Kostroma to the evolution of symbols painted on their tanks.

In April, we confirmed 39 soldiers had been killed but now BBC Newsnight estimates the total number of casualties to be between 400-500, almost half of the regiment’s strength from the beginning of the war.

Newsnight’s Diplomatic Editor Mark Urban analyses official and social Russian media to continue the story of the elite unit who are still trapped in a conflict that’s claiming more and more lives.

This film was produced by Louis Harris-White and Maria Jevstafjeva.

#Newsnight #BBCNews #BBC

Newsnight is the BBC’s flagship news and current affairs TV programme – with analysis, debate, exclusives, and robust interviews.

Website: https://www.bbc.co.uk/newsnight
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46 Comments

  3. I find it quite amusing that Spewtin is now considering sending "elite" paratroopers to defend the East Ukrainian stolen lands. If they perform anywhere near as well as they did in Kyiv in the opening days of this cowardly war, they'll be history just after they land.

  7. Sending young healthy men to die for one man’s ambition, is a disgraceful use of Russians army. Putin would have gone down in history as a great intelligent leader before this war, now he will go down in history as a disgrace to his people. So sad for all the lives lost on both sides, targeting civilians by Russia will tarnish their futures and be remembered as a cowardly act.

  11. A lot More english SOLDIERS died in world war 1&2. Casualties are expected in any war. So shut up and fix your dilapidated country: England. Long live to Russia and Vladimir Putin 🇷🇺 🇷🇺

  16. NOTHING in russia is "elite." Not in the military, not in the economy, not politically. Nothing. it is a fabricated country built on tissues of lies. It has been since 1918, and it has been under authoritarian rule for hundreds of years. They will never be a real country.

  23. Russia treating there soldiers like the British generals in the WW1, collateral damage it is now called, slaughtered and expendable, as usual the Russian generals are leading from the rear.

  24. 9:23 – 9:32 – he's saying these vehicles that have #"391" printed on them are the same and that they "spotted it again" somewhere else, but they don't look like the same vehicles and the "!V" is on a different side of the "391" in each picture. The vehicles don't even seem to have the same tracks. Is it really the same vehicle?

  25. Russias children need to know the truth about the atrocities that the Russian military committed against the Ukrainian civilians all the rapes, murders, torture, the destruction, pain and anguish they have caused the entire country of Ukraine. A country they invaded unprovoked. They need to know that their military are nothing but war criminals and the FURTHEST THING FROM HEROES.

    Russian propaganda everything that comes out of their mouths is lies…can’t say anything negative against the state our their families might disappear.

  26. Knowing the massacres of civilians they have committed and that they are at the orders of a tyrant whose sole purpose is to create an empire for the greater glory of his ego, the suffering of these murderers does not produce any empathy in me.

  35. There is a Ukrainian woman that works at our shop here in Canada. She drank the koolaide. Her mother also works here and she has a big picture of Putin in her office. She is about 68 her daughter that works here is about 48. I asks the daughter if she stands for Ukraine or Russia. She said Russia, she said that Ukraine president is stopping Russian people from speaking Russian in Ukraine. I said you think that is a reason to bomb and invade Ukraine ? Talk about drinking the koolaide that is spiked with Russian propaganda. She said Russia is not spreading propaganda, I said than why did Putin put an end to all media except his propaganda? I said why is he lying to the troops that they were just going to a training session and they where sent into Ukraine.

  37. There are 4 victims here and perhaps many more. You have the solider, the soldiers family, the community and then the country. You are not just losing men, you are losing everything. I love everyone, Ukrainians and Russians I do not want any of these young men to die. I'm an American and I just want all of this to stop so that these young men can live long lives filled with love, purpose and family. We risk so much for so little gain. As a global community we would should put more into our relationships with one another instead of pointing weapons at each other and making threats and living in fear or holding hate in our hearts. I will never understand why we are unable to love one another but instead hate one another. What is the purpose of this?

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